Kamen Rider The Next
is a 2007 Japanese Tokusatsu Film directed by Ryuta Tasaki and written by Toshiki Inoue. The film was released on October 27, 2007. The film borrows elements from the ''Kamen Rider television series and is a sequel to the Kamen Rider The First movie (which was a film adaptation of the original Kamen Rider series). The film is largely of the horror genre, unlike The First which was mostly action sci-fi, mostly in an attempt to capitalize on the success of films such as Ju-On: The Grudge and the Ringu film series Actor Kazuki Kato, who had previously portrayed Daisuke Kazama/Kamen Rider Drake in Kamen Rider Kabuto, portrayed Shiro Kazami/Kamen Rider V3. Both Masaya Kikawada and Hassei Takano reprise their roles as Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 and Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2, respectively. It was given a PG-12 rating for its brief nudity and mild violence. Plot Two years after the events of Kamen Rider The First, a strange series of bizarre murders occur with the victims mutilated in a most gruesome fashion while pop star Chiharu's "Platinum Smile" is being played, becoming an urban legend. Meanwhile, Takeshi Hongo has become a high school science teacher with a troublesome class with one catching his attention, a troubled girl named Kotomi Kikuma who was best friends with Chiharu and is worried about her. By the time Hongo and she find a dying "Chiharu", they learn she's actually an imposter as the Shocker Inhumanoid Chainsaw Lizard arrives with the six Shocker Riders to carry out the task of executing Hongo, forcing him to reveal himself in as Kamen Rider 1 to Kotomi before escaping his hunters. At around the same time, Hayato Ichimonji is shown still alive but slowly weakening due to his body's rejection of the cybernetic changes which made him Kamen Rider 2. The next day, after saving Kotomi from some punks by exposing his physical abilities, Hongo accepts Kotomi's offer to help in finding Chiharu by finding her older brother Shiro Kazami, who is the former president of the rising IT enterprise ExaStream, which is tied to the mysterious disappearance of its staff two months prior. Making their way to his holiday home to meet Kazami, Hongo and Kotomi soon learn that he in league with Shocker as Chainsaw Lizard and the Shocker Riders battle Kamen Rider on as Kazami joins the fray as a Shocker Inhumanoid code-named "V3". After chasing down Rider 1 in a high speed chase across the countryside, V3 and the Shocker Riders take down Rider 1 until Kamen Rider 2 re-appears to cover Rider 1's escape. But after realizing his "sister" was another imposter, Kazami reveals the incident at ExaStream was a Shocker experiment of Nanobots designed to convert all humans in Japan into cyborgs, with him being a survivor of the experiment. The three riders later learn that Kotomi found the other girl, revealing the gruesome fate the real Chiharu suffered as she and predecessor were involved, horrifying Kazami as Kotomi is telepathically shown the truth of the real Chiharu's final moments as "Chiharu" runs off and eventually is brutally murdered with the manager and the record dealer who were covering up her death as Kotomi uses Platinum Smile to communicate with Chiharu, learning that she's still alive as the "ghost" took its leave. After Kazami reveals to Hongo that Shocker's foreign branch brought a shipment of nanobots to spread them across the nation, Rider 1 arrives to intercept the convoy while battling Scissors Jaguar, the mastermind behind the Nanobot Operation, with Rider 2 arriving to back him up as the battle brings to the Legend of Gathering in an all out fight for the nanobots. Though the Double Riders were overwhelmed, the tables are turned as V3 arrives to support them. While the Double Riders kill Scissors Jaguar, V3 manages to destroy Chainsaw Lizard and the nanobots before coming face to face with Chiharu, horrifically mutated by the nanobots into a monster as she pleas her brother to put her out of her misery. Though reluctant to do it, Kazami executes the V3 Punch to honor his sister's wish to die rather than live as a monster in agonizing pain. After the Triple Riders escape the burning restaurant, Ichimonji takes his leave to spend his final moments in bliss at a Ginza bar he regulars, while Kazami decides to start a new life for himself. As for Hongo, he is forced to quit his job after a few complaints made for his earlier stunt as Kotomi decides to walk him home. The Platinum Smile incidents seemingly end as the credits roll. However, though Chiharu finally died, the "curse of Platinum Smile" is still in effect. Characters Heroes Villains * V3 (later becomes good) * Scissors Jaguar * Chainsaw Lizard * Shocker Combatmen * Shocker Riders - Alternative Riders based on Kamen Rider 2. They are mass-produced as soldiers of Shocker, and are enhanced in terms of abilities and powers under the nano-technology. * Chiharu Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * * : * : * : Suit actors * Kamen Rider 1: * Kamen Rider 2: * Kamen Rider V3: * Scissors Jaguar: * Chainsaw Lizard: Songs ;Theme song *"Chosen Soldier" **Lyrics & Artist: ISSA **Composition: ;Insert song *"Platinum Smile" **Lyrics & Artist: Riyu Kosaka **Composition: LOVE+HATE References ^ "仮面ライダーＶ３　２７年ぶり復活". http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2007/06/08/04.html. Retrieved 2007-06-08. (Japanese) ^ a b c d "今秋公開の映画「仮面ライダー THE NEXT」はPG-12". http://news.ameba.jp/2007/07/5571.php. Retrieved 2007-07-15. Notes *Like the first film, The Riders' transformation movement is different from the actual series. In the series, Hongo, Ichimonji, and Kazami perform stylish movements from the series, later in the movie, the three Riders perform the classic hand movements as battle poses before their confrontation with Chiharu, but have no connection to their transformation, but Hongo simply does the iconic Ichigo pose, and Ichimonji does the full hand gestures of Kamen Rider 2 while Kazami does the pose of the original Kazami. Hongo and Ichimonji transform in the classic transformation style, for instance, in one small moment in the movie, when Hongo is surrounded by Shocker Riders, he does the Rider jump to transform. Like the Heisei-Era Kamen Riders, the eyes flash to end the transformation. but Kazami's transformation is more in line to the first film; Kazami's belt simply appears on his waist, it whirs, transforming him into his suit, he then snaps on his helmet and faceplate on his head to transform. *This movie features a cameo appearance by (appearing in a post credit scene), who would later portray Takatora Kureshima (Kamen Rider Zangetsu(-Shin)) in Kamen Rider Gaim. *The ending features an odd continuity error, before the victim is killed by the curse of Chiharu, he is clearly seen playing a Kamen Rider pachinko game featuring the original Kamen Riders from the TV series. This does not make sense in context as this world is where Kamen Rider is real and an urban myth, thus a pachinko game of the TV series incarnations would not exist. This can most likely be seen as forced product placement for the adults in the audience to play said pachinko game. External links *MaskedRiderNext.jp - Official website